Picking Up the Pieces
by Cutting Edge
Summary: ON HIATUS. When Hermione & Lavender get caught up in Voldemort's latest plan they must team up with Harry, ableit reluctantly, to stop him. They must be careful though because old memories & new romances could put them in more danger then they bargain for
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own Harry and Co. Don't believe me? Ok, that's cool.  
  
A/N: *smiles and waves at readers* I'm ba-ack! I present to you the wonderful sequel to 'Better Than This'! Well, I'm not so sure abou-  
  
Hermione: *walks into author's bedroom* Oh good lord. Not another one. Wasn't the first one bad enough?  
  
Lavender: *walks in eating an apple* Don't be so mean Hermione. I kind of liked the last one.  
  
Hermione: Yeah, well, you weren't the one who was made out to be a complete and total sap. You didn't have to poor your heart out to some skinny twit either.  
  
Harry: *jumps out from author's closet w/ indignant look on face* Hey! I am not some skinny twit. I'm the freaking boy-who-lived! You're supposed to adore me!  
  
Hermione: Yeah, well I'm also supposed to be madly in love with Ron in the cannon but I haven't seen anything happening with that.  
  
Ron: *climbs in window* On no you don't. Leave me out of this. I don'-  
  
Lizziebordon: *turns to look at characters* HEY! I was talking first! Be quiet and let me finish!  
  
Harry: So? Hermione called me a skinny twit! Aren't you going to do anything about it?  
  
Lizziebordon: No! Now shut up. *turns back to readers* Now as I was saying before, I'm not sure it's that wonderful, but here it is anyways. Don't forget to review after and-  
  
Ron: You know, I don't think they're even reading this. Why do you bother?  
  
Lizziebordon: *grabs apple from Lavender and throws it at Ron*  
  
Ron: ...  
  
Lizziebordon: *looks at other characters* Does anyone else have anything to say?  
  
All Characters: *shake heads and stare wide eyed at Ron lying on the floor unconscious*  
  
Lizziebordon: Good. *back to readers* Now you can all read and enjoy the wonders of my small, insane mind. R/R please!  
  
September 18, 2000  
  
Hermione glared at the clock as it slowly made its way to 5 O'clock. She swore that she could almost here it laughing as it kept her from being able to leave and go home.  
  
After graduation Hermione had been offered an internship at St. Mungos. She had finally accepted after much deliberation and had spent the past two years working there. When she started, Hermione had been excited and ready for action. After years of watching muggle TV shows and movies she had somehow come to expect excitement. To see doctors racing around and miraculously saving lives. It was not what she had expected to say the least.  
  
"Only twenty more minutes," she muttered as she looked back at the charts she was filing.  
  
"HERMIONE!"  
  
Hermione jumped at the sound of her named being screamed. 'It's got to be Lavender,' she thought. One glance down the hallway confirmed her suspicions. She watched as Lavender raced down the hallway towards the desk she was working at, nearly knocking a cart full of potions over in the process. She grinned as she skidded to a stop in front of her.  
  
"Is it necessary to destroy my workplace in order to get my attention Lav?"  
  
Lavender tossed her hair over her shoulder and huffed indignantly. "I did not nearly destroy anything. I've never destroyed anything in my life. And don't even think about mentioning the Louvre 7th year. That was not my fault."  
  
"Of course it wasn't Lav. Famous paintings catching on fire is a natural occurrence. It happens all the time. Now, was there something you wanted? Or do you just enjoy screaming while running down hospital hallways like a crazed lunatic?"  
  
Lavender flashed her a smile as she held up a piece of parchment. "Do you remember when I sent in that spell in to 'Witch Weekly' for the best spell contest?" (A/N: I know, stupid name for a contest. Anyone have an idea for diff. name? It would be greatly appreciated.)  
  
"Yes," she said slowly. "Why?" Lavender's grin grew.  
  
"I have in my hands a letter from the editor informing me that I am the grand prize winner of a two week, all expenses paid, trip for two to New York City!" Hermione's jaw dropped as she grabbed the parchment from Lavender's hand.  
  
"You're joking? You won?!" She scanned the letter and looked at Lavender.  
  
"Nope, I am most definitely not. So, think you can manage to get some time off from work and join me?"  
  
"Are you kidding me?! Of course I'll come! But.are you sure that you don't want to take someone else?"  
  
"Who else would I take?" she asked.  
  
"Oh I don't know," she said breezily. "Maybe someone like, oh say, Emmit?"  
  
Lavender glared at a painting of a doctor in beige robes behind Hermione. "And why would I want to take him?"  
  
Hermione sighed. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe because he's your boyfriend!"  
  
"Who ever said he was my boyfriend? Just because we've been dating each other doesn't mean that he's my boyfriend."  
  
"Of course it doesn't." She smacked her forehead. "My mistake. I should never have assumed that the guy who you've been dating exclusively for three months is your boyfriend. What could I have been thinking?"  
  
"Well," said Lavender, "if you want the truth. I did ask him this morning. He's going to have a project going that entire month though. So you're my second choice!" she said brightly.  
  
"Well don't I feel special?"  
  
"Oh come on, Mione! You know that I didn't mean it that way."  
  
"I know, I know. It's just that I'm not sure if I'll be able to get any time off. You know what an arse Dr. Nichols is. But I'll try."  
  
"Ok, well, I guess I'll just wait for you then. You get of in awhile, right?"  
  
"Yeah, "she said glancing at the clock. "In ten minutes. You want to grab something to eat after?"  
  
"Actually, Parvati gave me this recipe that I've been dying to try. I was going to make it when I got home. It shouldn't take to long to make. You want to do that instead. Save up some money for shopping in New York?"  
  
"Alright" Hermione laughed. "More money is always a good thing where shopping is concerned. I'm going to finish these files and then go check out. Why don't I meet you by the front door."  
  
"Ok, see you in a few minutes."  
  
A/N: So? What'd ya think? Was it any good? I know it was short and nothing even happened. I couldn't think of a good line to end it with either. You are going to review, right? Right? *gets down on knees and begs* Please review. PLEASE! I need the reviews! I can't survive with out them! *begins to cry* Don't just leave like this! Tell me what you think. Praise me. Flame me. I don't care! I just want the reviews! *stops as she realizes what she's doing* Umm, yeah. so the next chapter will be up next week, I hope... Catch you all later! *waves cheerily* 


	2. Accident Prone

Disclaimer: Wasn't the first time enough? Why do you make me say it? It's so painful! Alright, Alright! I'll say it. I d-don't. I don't own Ha-Ha- Harry P-Potter! *sobs* Are you happy now?  
  
Lizziebordon: Well. I'm not sure if anyone even read the first chapter, seeing as there were no reviews for it. But I decided that I'd post chapter two anyways. Hopefully, someone well read this one-  
  
Ron: It's doubtful.  
  
Lizziebordon: Shut it, you. Do you want me to throw another apple at your head?  
  
Ron: *glares*  
  
Lizziebordon: Hopefully someone will read this one and review it. Enjoy!  
  
Last chapter~  
  
"I have in my hands a letter from the editor informing me that I am the grand prize winner of a two week, all expenses paid, trip for two to New York City!" Hermione's jaw dropped as she grabbed the parchment from Lavender's hand.  
  
"You're joking? You won?!" She scanned the letter and looked at Lavender.  
  
"Nope, I am most definitely not. So, think you can manage to get some time off from work and join me?"  
  
Two weeks later  
  
"Yeesh!" Hermione exclaimed as she dropped her bags on the floor of the hotel room. "Now I remember why I hate airports so much. They're always so- " she stopped suddenly as she looked at the room she was standing in.  
  
"Wow," Lavender said slowly.  
  
"Yeah" said Hermione. "Wow about covers it." They walked to the middle of the room and stared.  
  
They were standing on a beautiful hard wood floor and surrounded by walls painted in a cream color. The room itself was huge. To their right was a comfortable living area with a couch and several chairs. In the middle of the wall was a fireplace with a fire already lit, casting a warm glow on the area. There was a door, presumably leading to a bedroom, to the left of it. To their left was a spacious kitchen and dinning area. There was another door that, Hermione presumed, led to another bedroom. The wall directly in front of the door they had come in, was completely made of windows, allowing them an awesome view of the city itself.  
  
"Can you believe this?" Lavender asked. "It's amazing!"  
  
"I know," Hermione said in a daze. "I wonder how much this would have cost to rent ourselves for the two weeks."  
  
Lavender snorted. "Probably more than we could make in a year."  
  
Hermione grinned. "Come on. I want to see the bedrooms." Both raced to the door on their right and threw it open.  
  
Walking in, they found themselves standing on a thick, green carpet. The walls were a shade lighter than the carpet with a leaf border around the top. In the middle of the room was a king size bed with two bedside tables on either side. There was a large window to their left, much like the one in the main room. To their left were two doors. One led to a walk in closet while the other opened into a bathroom, complete with a giant whirlpool tub.  
  
"This is so cool!" exclaimed Lavender.  
  
"I know! Not that I don't like Emmit, Lav. But I'm really glad that he couldn't come."  
  
"It's ok," she said laughing. "I'm glad that you could come too."  
  
A quick tour of the other room told them it was almost identical to the first except it was done in red and reminded them strongly of the Gryffindor tower, After a quick tour of the main room, Hermione and Lavender spent the better part of an hour unpacking in their respective rooms, Hermione on the left, Lavender on the right. A quick decision was made to go to the restaurant downstairs for lunch.  
  
(A/N: I'm feeling lazy so I'm skipping the trip downstairs.)  
  
Taking a seat at the table their host led them too; Hermione picked her menu up and flipped it open. 'Yum. this all looks so good.'  
  
"May I get you ladies something to drink?" Hermione jumped slightly as the voice of their server interrupted her thoughts.  
  
"Oh! Umm. yes. A drink. I would like a cup of tea please. Herbal."  
  
"And I'd like a glass of Pepsi." Hermione eyed Lavender quizzically.  
  
"I thought you hated Pepsi?" (A/N: Em, if you're reading this, think about our conversation at lunch the other day w/ Jake while you read this conversation.)  
  
"Whenever did I say that?"  
  
"On the plane! You kept going on and on about how sick of it you were. Why are you drinking it now?"  
  
"Because I like it."  
  
"But you said you didn't!"  
  
"Well, I changed my mind!" she exclaimed as she sat back and crossed her arms indignantly.  
  
"But- Oh, forget it," Hermione said w/ a sigh. "It's not a good idea to start our vacation with a stupid argument. What are you getting?"  
  
"Umm. I thing the chicken sandwich sounds good. You?"  
  
"I think I'll get the cheese soup and the ham sandwich," she said as she stared at the menu.  
  
After their server had taken their orders they both stared around the small restaurant and complimented it.  
  
"It really is a great hotel," Hermione said.  
  
"Yeah. Hey! I saw this museum out the window of the car on the way from the airport. Do you want to go after lunch?"  
  
"Umm, I'm not sure that's such a good idea, Lav? I mean, do you remember what happened at the Louvre?"  
  
Lavender waved her hand impatiently. "Oh come on, Mione. That was one incident. What could possibly go wrong?"  
  
Two hours later  
  
"I told you coming here was a bad idea, Lavender," Hermione hissed as they walked out of the security office.  
  
"It wasn't my fault!" she whined. "That suit of armor came out of nowhere! It's not my fault that I knocked into it and it fell over," she said as they slowly walked back towards the exhibits.  
  
"Ugh, Lav, why do you have to be so accident prone when it comes to old, priceless objects?"  
  
"Two times! Two times and I'm labeled accident prone! It's not fair I tell you... Besides," she said after a pause, "they weren't even that mad. They just asked us to keep to the middle of the hallways where there weren't any standing objects."  
  
Hermione laughed. "Whatever, come on. I want to go see that exhibit with all the artifacts from Egypt. I heard they have some things from a tomb of a priest that are supposed to be fascinating."  
  
"Cool. I love old stuff."  
  
"Oh, there it is," she said pointing as she saw a display case through a door up ahead.  
  
Walking around the room carefully, as to avoid another accident, Hermione and Lavender looked at the different display cases. They stopped at one containing several pieces of jewelry.  
  
"Wow, Mione, would you look at that necklace," Lavender said pointing to a gold necklace in the center of the case.  
  
It was a nice necklace. A large red stone was surrounded by several small white stones. The stone was supported by a thick, gold chain.  
  
"Nice," she commented. "I wonder who it belonged too." She spotted a small sign in front of the necklace. "Read that."  
  
Lavender cleared her throat. "Umm, the necklace belonged to a man named Imuta. He was a powerful and dangerous priest. It says that he wanted to rule all of Egypt. He almost succeeded too. But he was stopped by a peasant woman, sign doesn't say how. The necklace is said to have great powers. It could give whoever wears it the power to control people and their actions."  
  
"Interesting," Hermione said. "Sounds a lot like Imperius. Do you think it's an early-"  
  
CRACK!  
  
Hermione stopped midsentence as, all around them, several wizards in white mask appeared and began firing spells. She and Lavender glanced at each other quickly and dove into the crowd with their wands ready.  
  
"SUPEFY!" Hermione yelled as she aimed at a Death Eater in front of her. He went down as the spell hit his chest. She glanced around her. Muggles were falling, dead and unconscious, all around her. Death Eaters were falling to though. She glanced at the people fighting. It seemed that she and Lavender weren't the only witches at the museum today.  
  
"STUPEFY!" she yelled again as a Death Eater fired a spell at her. She dodged the curse quickly and turned around ready to fire again. She stopped at what she saw behind her and felt a chill run down her spine.  
  
A Death Eater stood behind her with his wand aimed at her. She saw, as if in slow motion, his mouth form the words of a curse that many witches and wizards fear.  
  
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"  
  
A/N: Bum bum bum! Lol. As if you really think she's gonna die. I mean, come on, she's the main character. You really think "d kill her off in the second chapter? Well, yeah... I hope that you liked it. I'm having fun w/ this story so far. Let's hope that it stays like that. Review please! 


	3. Unexpected Faces

Disclaimer: Don't own them. Never did and, unfortunately, never will. So stop reminding me.  
  
Lizziebordon: HI! How is everybody? I'm great. I finally finished this damn thing. You guys will never guess what happened. Want to know? No? Well to bad, b/c I'm telling you anyways. I had this chapter completely finished. It was great. It was ten pages and had some stuff in it that I just loved. So you know what I did? I saved it on a disk. That's right, a disk. Stupid, no? So Christmas day rolls around and I'm getting ready to go to my mom's and I think, "Why don't I upload the chap. real quick?" So I get on the comp. and open up the file to find that the disk was completely messed up and had erased the entire chap. Needless to say, I was pissed. I had to rewrite the entire thing. And of course, this version sucks. It's a lot shorter and I couldn't remember how I had tied some of the events from the original in. So sorry, but you have to deal w/ a horrible chap. I hope it isn't too bad.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Last Chapter~  
  
"STUPEFY!" she yelled again as a Death Eater fired a spell at her. She dodged the curse quickly and turned around ready to fire again. She stopped at what she saw behind her and felt a chill run down her spine.  
  
A Death Eater stood behind her with his wand aimed at her. She saw, as if in slow motion, his mouth form the words of a curse that many witches and wizards fear.  
  
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Hermione didn't even have time to let the scream building in her throat out before she was shoved, rather roughly, to the floor. Lying on her back, she watched a jet of green light pass over her.  
  
"STUPEFY!" Hermione looked over to her right in time to see the Death Eater that tried too kill her fall to the floor unconscious.  
  
"Are you alright?" Looking up, she saw a man standing over her, looking concerned. She sat up slowly, checking for broken bones. Finding none, she accepted the hand he offered her.  
  
"I'm fine, thank you. You saved my life."  
  
"Oh, it's no big deal," he said blushing. "I'm sure you would have done the same if you saw someone in trouble. I'm Jeremy, by the way."  
  
"Hermione. Hermione Granger. You're a wizard?"  
  
"Well, obviously." He said, sounding slightly amused, while holding up his wand.  
  
"Oh," she replied, embarrassed at her question. Hermione glanced away and then back and took in his appearance.  
  
He was a tall man; Hermione guessed he had to be at least six foot. He had dark brown hair and a tan that was uncommon for a New Yorker. His eyes, a piercing blue, looked green when they caught the light a certain way. He was extremely attractive.  
  
"Hermione? Are you sure that you're alright?"  
  
"What? Oh! Yes, I'm fine. It's just that I hadn't realized that there were any other wizards here," she said quickly. "Do- Do you think we should go and help some more?"  
  
"Well, I think the Aurors have it taken care of, for the most part. Don't you?"  
  
Looking behind her, Hermione was surprised to see that several Aurors had indeed arrived and were taking the Death Eaters that were still in the museum into custody.  
  
"Huh? I didn't even notice that they had arrived. How did they get here so quickly?"  
  
"A friend of mine Apparated to the Ministry. He told them what was happening. Are you sure-"  
  
"HERMIONE!" 'And that would be Lavender,' Hermione thought. Sure enough, a second later, Lavender skidded to a stop in front of her and enveloped her in a bone crushing hug. "Oh thank god! You're alright. I couldn't find you and I thought that something might have happened."  
  
"No. I'm fine, Lav. Thanks to Jeremy here." Lavender glanced at Jeremy over her shoulder.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Jeremy. He save my life. A Death Eater tried to kill me and he pushed me out of the way."  
  
"WHAT?! You were almost killed? And he," she motioned to Jeremy, "saved you?" Hermione nodded. "Oh, thank you!" Lavender cried throwing her arms around Jeremy.  
  
"Uh, you're welcome. And you are?"  
  
"Oh!" Lavender cried, blushing slightly. "I'm Lavender. Sorry about the hug. It's just- well, you know- Hermione is my best friend- You know what? I'm just going to be quiet."  
  
"You do that, Lav," Hermione laughed as she turned back to Jeremy. "Thank you again. You have no idea how grateful I am."  
  
"Well, I think I have some idea. I know how grateful I would be if someone saved my life. But really, it's not that big of a deal. No thanks are necessary. I was just helping."  
  
Hermione smiled. "Well, alright then. I guess we should get going."  
  
"Oh right. I should go to. I need to get back to work. I'm late already."  
  
"Really? What do you do?"  
  
"I'm a spell researcher. When an old spell's discovered, I do the research and try to figure out what it does. I make sure that it's not going to kill anyone when it's cast."  
  
Hermione laughed. "It's nice to know that there are people who do that. Well, I hope you don't get in trouble for being late. Maybe we'll see you again before we leave?"  
  
Jeremy's eyes and face lit up with a smile. "Yeah, that would be great. If you guys want to get together than go ahead and ask for me at the Ministry. They'll tell you where to find me." Nodding a goodbye he turned and left. Hermione watched him until he turned the corner and went out of sight. Turning back around she was met with a smirk from Lavender.  
  
"What? What are you smirking at?"  
  
"Oh, nothing. It's just."  
  
"Just what?"  
  
"Well, it's obvious that he has a thing for you."  
  
"A thing? Lavender, that's impossible. "I've known him for less than an hour. He doesn't have a thing for me."  
  
"Yes, he does. Did you see that smile when you said that you hoped you saw him again? He had no problems with that idea. He even told you where you could find him!"  
  
Hermione glared at her. "Lav, he doesn't. Now, can we just drop this? Please?"  
  
"Ok, fine. We'll drop it. For now."  
  
Sighing, Hermione turned and started walking for the exit. Rapid footsteps told her that Lavender was rushing after her.  
  
"So," Hermione said. "Why do you think the Death Eaters attacked?"  
  
"Who knows? I mean, it's just a muggle museum. The only reason that I could think of is that they were just her for what they term "fun"."  
  
"I don't think so. All the Death Eater activity in the past few months has been in Europe. I doubt that You-Know-Who would suddenly start attacking muggle museums here in the States for no reason. There has to be a reason behind it."  
  
"Then what? What would he attack a museum for?"  
  
"Maybe he was looking for something," said a voice from behind them. Turning around they were met the last person they had expected to see.  
  
"Harry!"  
  
***  
  
Lizziebordon: *bites nails nervously* So what did you think? Was it awful? I hope it wasn't. If it was then you have my apologies. I'll try to get the next chap out soon. Remember, reviews are always appreciated. 


	4. Single and Ready for Action!

Lizziebordon: Haha! I finally finished it. I had such a horrible case of writer's block for awhile there. But now it's done and here for you to enjoy.  
  
Ron: Enjoy? Ha! As if they would enjoy anything that you write.  
  
Lizziebordon: Hey! Did I say that you could speak? No, I don't think I did. Now stop being rude and interrupting me.  
  
Ron: Well, maybe I wouldn't rude and interrupt if you'd introduce me into the story already.  
  
Lizziebordon: Who says that you're in the story?  
  
Ron: *blinks* What? I don't have a part in the story?  
  
Lizziebordon: Maybe, maybe not. I do hate you after all. Why would I add in a character that I hate? Unless I needed to have someone kidnapped, tortured and killed.. *light bulb*  
  
Ron: *edges out of author's room slowly*  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Harry, what are you doing here?" Lavender asked in confusion.  
  
For a moment, he said nothing. He simply stood there and locked eyes with Hermione. Hermione felt a rush of emotions flood through her as she stood there and looked at him. She remembered the last time they had talked with a rush of pain. God, she wished she could forget it.  
  
"The Ministry asked me to come and check out the attic," he said, breaking eye contact with Hermione. "They wanted me to see if I could figure out if the Death Eaters were here simply for the fun of it or if they actually had a reason."  
  
"You think there was a reason?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yes. Voldemort isn't the type to do something like this for no reason. Too much exposure. I think that he wanted something here in the museum."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I'm not sure yet. I just got here so I haven't had a chance to look at anything. I need to check to see if any of the artifacts are missing. Then, I'll have to check the rest of them museum to make sure that the Death Eaters weren't just a distraction while he took something from a different exhibit."  
  
"What will you do if they did take something?"  
  
"Well, first, we'll have to figure out why he took whatever it is. Then we'll have to find him and get it back because if he did take something, then I doubt that it's for anything good." Harry sighed and ran his hands through his hair, causing it to stick up more so then it usually did. "What are you two doing here in New York anyways?"  
  
"I won a contest," Lavender said simply. "The prize was a trip for two to New York and I decided to bring Mione along. She needed to get out of the hospital for awhile. She works too much."  
  
Hermione glared at her. "Be quiet Lavender." She turned back to Harry. "Well, it was nice seeing you again, Harry, but we need to get going. Don't we Lav?"  
  
"Where do we need to- Ow!" She exclaimed as Hermione suddenly shoved her elbow into her side. She rubbed her side and glared at Hermione. "Of course, we do need to get going."  
  
"Oh," Harry said. "Alright then. It was nice seeing the two of you."  
  
"It was wonderful," Lavender said. "Hey, why don't you call us sometime while you're still here and the three of us can get together for dinner. Alright?" Taking a pen out of her purse she grabbed Harry's hand and quickly jotted down the hotel number and room.  
  
He nodded. "Alright. I'll see you two later then." With a nod, he turned and walked in the direction of the exhibit.  
  
Hermione suddenly grabbed Lavender's arms. "Lavender!" she hissed. "Why did you do that?"  
  
"Do what?" she asked innocently.  
  
"Tell him that we would get together with him?"  
  
"Oh I don't know..Maybe because he's a friend of mine whom I haven't seen in ages and whom you haven't seen or talked to in over two years."  
  
"Yes," Hermione said evenly, letting go of her arms. "And, if you remember, there is a reason that I haven't seen or talked to him."  
  
Lavender threw up her hands in frustration. "God, Hermione! When are you going to let that go? He apologized, didn't he?"  
  
"It doesn't matter, Lavender. An apology won't make up for it." She crossed her arms over her chest. "What he did was unforgivable," she said quietly.  
  
Lavender sighed and gave Hermione a hug. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done, I admit it but it's too late to take the invitation back. How about this, we go to dinner with him once and then forget that we ever saw him?" She paused. "Or we could always get a picture of him, blow it up and shoot darts at it. How does that sound?"  
  
Hermione let a small smile slip onto her face. "Sounds good. Let's go back to the hotel, ok? I don't think I can take much more excitement today."  
  
***  
  
Hermione rubbed her shoulders in an attempt to relieve herself of the tension she had felt since the museum. 'Maybe a bath will help.' She walked into the bathroom and went over to the large bathtub. Turning on the hot water, she adjusted it until it was the right temperature. She stood up and walked over to the sink and looked at herself in the mirror. She was pale and looked utterly exhausted.  
  
She was tired from the fight and spending the entire ride back to the hotel trying to get the meeting with Harry out of her mind hadn't helped. 'I can't believe that I have to go to dinner with him,' she thought. 'How can I possibly sit there and act as if I've forgotten?' She felt tears in her eyes as she remembered what had happened.  
  
(Flashback) "Ron, have you seen Harry? I can't find him anywhere!" Hermione exclaimed in frustration.  
  
"He said something about heading to the Room of Requirement But Hermione....I'm not so sure you should go looking for him right now."  
  
"Why?" she asked, confused.  
  
"I- I just don't think you should," he said, adverting his eyes from her searching look.  
  
"Ron, I need to talk him about something important. I'll be back soon, ok?" She went out the portrait and shut it before he could call her back.  
  
Making her way quickly towards the room she grinned to herself. No matter how many times she told herself she was being silly, she couldn't help but grin like an idiot when she thought of seeing Harry. She thought back to their conversation at Christmas and her grin widened. (AN: If you don't know what conversation I'm talking about go read Better Than This.)  
  
She laughed at herself realizing that thinking about Harry had caused her to walk past the Room. Backtracking quickly, she went over what she wanted to say to him. When she had reached the door she took a quick glance down the corridor to make sure no one would see her and opened the door. Her face paled at what she saw inside.  
  
"Hermione!"  
  
Hermione jumped at the sound of her name being yelled through the door.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I said," Lavender called back. "May I come in?"  
  
"Yes, Lavender. Come on in." She splashed some water in an attempt to get rid of the redness around her eyes.  
  
"I was thinking," Lavender said as she walked in, "that we should go and see something on Broadway while we're here. What would our friends say if they knew that we had come to New York and didn't-"She stopped when she saw Hermione's face in the mirror. "Mione? What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing," she said, drying her face on a towel. "I'm fine."  
  
"No you're not," Lavender said as she took her arm and led her over to the bathtub. They both sat down on the edge and Lavender turned off the water. "Something is obviously wrong otherwise you wouldn't be in the bathroom crying. What is it?"  
  
Hermione looked at her hands. "It's Harry I guess. I wasn't expecting to run into him. Seeing him just brought up old memories that I'd like to forget." She paused. "I keep on wondering what I did to make him do what he did."  
  
"Hermione," Lavender said gently. "You didn't do anything wrong. Harry was a teenage boy then and he acted like one. You can't help what he did. There's no point in thinking about it. That point in your life is over and done with."  
  
"But Lavender, he told me that he loved me! Or at least, he said that he knew that he could love me. God," she said laughing, "how could I have believed him. 'I know that I could love you,' he tells me. What a lie. He never really felt anything for me. He was just playing with my feelings for his own amusement."  
  
"Hermione!"  
  
"No, Lavender," she said, standing up. "It's ok. I don't care anymore. Harry never loved me and it's time that I realize that. There's no point in obsessing about the past. What's done is done, right? He did what he did and now I have to get over it and on with my life. You're right, nothing is ever going to happen between me and Harry."  
  
"Hermione," Lavender said weakly. "That isn't what I meant."  
  
"Didn't you say that you think Jeremy is attracted to me?" she asked, not hearing Lavender. "I'll see if he wants to go out to dinner. Who knows, maybe something will happen. Starting right now," she said with conviction, "I am beginning a new chapter in my life. I'm Hermione Granger, single and ready for action!"  
  
Lavender stared helplessly as she walked out of the bathroom. "Good lord," she said quietly, "what have I done?"  
  
***  
  
AN: Well, there you have it. A little peek into the H/Hr past. Next chapter I'll go a little more into it. I'm thinking about changing the name. I don't really like the one that I have now. What do you guys think?  
  
Thanks to the few that have reviewed so far. I love you guys! And thanks to my wonderful beta, kiwi. You rock! I just hope we caught all the mistakes this time. Remember, reviews make a happy author. 


	5. Unidentified Flying Carrot

Disclaimer: Use your brain. Would I seriously be writing this fic if I owned the characters? Also, I'm borrowing the idea on how people get to the diff. departments in the Ministry. I can't for the life of me remember what story I saw it in or whose idea it was. If anyone knows feel free to tell me so I can give the proper credit.  
  
A/N: Ok, I lied. You're not going to find anymore out about what happened between Hermione and Harry. This is really more of a filler chapter. Sorry, but not really. I'm dedicating this chapter to Kaaera b/c she reviewed all my chapters! *hugs* I'm so happy now!  
  
*** Last Chapter~  
  
"No, Lavender," she said, standing up. "It's ok. I don't care anymore. Harry never loved me and it's time that I realize that. There's no point in obsessing about the past. What's done is done, right? He did what he did and now I have to get over it and on with my life. You're right, nothing is ever going to happen between me and Harry."  
  
"Hermione," Lavender said weakly. "That isn't what I meant."  
  
"Didn't you say that you think Jeremy is attracted to me?" she asked, not hearing Lavender. "I'll see if he wants to go out to dinner. Who knows, maybe something will happen. From now on," she said with conviction, "I am staring a new chapter in my life. I'm Hermione Granger, single and ready for action!" ***  
  
"I'd like to speak with Jeremy." Hermione said to a severe looking woman behind the desk in the lobby.  
  
The woman glanced over the top of the large and very bright green glasses she was wearing at Hermione. "Jeremy who?"  
  
"Oh, um, actually, I have no idea what his last name is. He never told me."  
  
The woman frowned. "Well, I need something more than Jeremy to go on, dear. Do you know what department he works in?"  
  
"He said that he researches spells."  
  
"Ah, Department of Spells and Potions Research. That would mean you're looking for Jeremy Bishmore. You need to go up the staircase over there to the third floor. Turn right as soon as you get there and go through the fifth door on your left. Ask the receptionist for Jeremy Shaye when you get there. She'll tell you how to get to his office."  
  
"Thanks," Hermione replied as she set off for the staircase. Following the woman's directions Hermione soon found herself in front of a door with the letters DoSPR. Stepping through the door she felt a sensation akin to that of a portkey. A second later she found herself lying on the floor.  
  
"Haven't used the portals much then?"  
  
Hermione looked up to find the source of the question. A young woman who looked to be in her twenties was peering at her over the top of a desk.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"You haven't used the portals much. Anyone who's used them enough knows how to keep from going down like that."  
  
"Oh, no." she said, standing up. "That's the first time I've ever used something like that. Feels a bit like a portkey."  
  
The woman smiled. "Yeah, I thought that too the first time I used one. You get used to it though. How can I help you?"  
  
"I'm looking for Jeremy Bishmore. The woman downstairs said you could point me in the right direction."  
  
"Jeremy, huh? Sure. All you need to do is go down that hallway. His office is the very last one on the left. He's not there at the moment but you can go on in and sit down. He'll be back in a few moments.  
  
"Thank you," she called as she headed down the hallway. She walked down the hallway until she reached a door with the Bishmore on it in large letters. Opening the door she peered inside.  
  
As the woman had said, Jeremy was nowhere to be seen inside the office. She stepped in and shut the door behind her. Unsure of whether she should sit down or not she took a look around of the room.  
  
It was nice, as far as offices go. Large windows covered the far wall, Hermione suspected a spell was used for the view. A mahogany desk sat in front of them, covered in parchment and books, he really needed someone to organize that. A comfortable leather couch was in one corner of the room with a table in front of it, also covered in parchment and books. The walls, painted in green, were covered with diplomas from various schools and photographs.  
  
She peered at one of the photos. Jeremy sat on a bench with his arm around a blond woman. Both were smiling happily and waving at the camera. The photo looked fairly recent. His girlfriend perhaps?  
  
She spun around as the door opened behind her. Jeremy walked in, grinning happily.  
  
"Hermione! Amanda said you'd be in here. It's great to see you again"  
  
"Amanda?"  
  
"Oh, woman at the front desk. How are you?"  
  
"I'm fine. And you?"  
  
"I'm great, nothing but a few bruises. Is your friend, Lavender, alright?"  
  
"Oh, she's fine. Cheerful as always."  
  
"That's good. So, what can I do for you today?"  
  
"Nothing really. I just thought I'd stop by and see how you were doing. And- " she stopped, unsure of how to ask her next question.  
  
"Hermione? What is it?"  
  
"Well," she said slowly. "I was wondering. Lavender and I are having dinner tonight with a friend tonight. We were wondering if you would like to join us."  
  
"I'd love to." He answered happily. His blue eyes shinned with a smile, nearly causing Hermione's knees to go wobbly. He really was quite handsome.  
  
"Great! How about you meet Lavender in front of our hotel at six-thirty. We're staying at the Hilton."  
  
"The Hilton?" He raised an eyebrow. "Pretty fancy."  
  
"Is it?" she asked. "I wouldn't know. I've never been here to New York and I'm not sure what's considered fancy or not."  
  
"The Hilton is definitely fancy. Owned by a very, very rich family. Where are we going for dinner?"  
  
"The Hard Rock Café. The cabbie told us that it was the best café in New York"  
  
"Hey, my favorite. I've loved that place forever."  
  
"Good. I need to get going but I'll see you tonight?"  
  
"Six-thirty. See you then."  
  
Leaving the Ministry, Hermione smiled to herself. She was glad he was coming to dinner with them. True, her main reason for asking him was so she wouldn't have to be having dinner with just Lavender and Harry, which would undoubtedly lead to conversations she didn't want to have, but she was pleased that he was coming. She really did want to get to know him.  
  
Outside she hailed a cab and gave her destination. Once she had reached the hotel she paid the cabby and went up to her room. When she entered, she was greeted with the sounds of metal clanking against metal. Locking the door behind her and setting her bag down, she walked towards the source of noise.  
  
"Lavender?"  
  
Lavender's head popped up over the side of the counter in the kitchen.  
  
"Hey Mione. You're back."  
  
"Yeah. What are you doing?"  
  
Spread across the counter was pots, bowls and various food items. The floor was covered in what looked like flour. Basically, it looked like there had been a small hurricane.  
  
"I'm making lunch."  
  
"Lunch. You're making lunch at ten-thirty in the morning?"  
  
"Yes," she replied as she added something to a pot on the stove. "I was bored and thought I'd make something for us to eat here instead of having to go out. Would you hand me the onion in that bowl over there?"  
  
Hermione handed it to her and sat down on a chair that she pulled over from the table. "Where did you get all the food?"  
  
"I went out to a market I saw yesterday. Where were you? I woke up and all I found was a note saying you had gone out and would be back before lunch."  
  
"I went to the Ministry," she said looking at her watch.  
  
"Really? And what, pray tell, were you doing there?"  
  
"I wanted to see how Jeremy was doing after yesterday." She paused before adding, "I invited him to dinner with us tonight."  
  
Lavender put the knife she was using down quickly and turned to look at Hermione. "Hermione!" she said sharply. "We're supposed to be having dinner with Harry tonight!"  
  
"I know. That's one of the reasons I invited him. If he's there then I won't be forced into having a conversation that I don't want to have."  
  
"Hermione-"  
  
"Don't, Lav. I don't want to hear it. I am not talking to Harry about what happened. Don't try to force me."  
  
"Fine," she sighed. "But one day, you'll have to. You might as well get it over with now."  
  
"Leave it be. Jeremy's coming with us and that's final. He's meeting us out front at six-thirty." She ate a piece of tomato sitting on a cutting board. "What are you making?"  
  
"Soup." She stirred the pot on the stove before setting the lid back on. "Hermione," she said slowly. "You said that inviting him so you wouldn't have to talk to Harry was one of your reasons. What was the other?"  
  
"Oh, I was thinking about what you said at the museum yesterday, about Jeremy being interested in me, and decided that I should go ahead and try to get to know him. He does seem nice and is rather good looking."  
  
Lavender laughed. "I thought that you were annoyed with my thinking he had a thing for you."  
  
"Well I changed my mind." She said primly. "I'm allowed to do that, aren't I?"  
  
"Of course. It's just that you usually don't change your mind about things like that."  
  
"Well people change."  
  
"Yes, though I'm not sure if you should date with him."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"You tend to get a little possessive when you date a guy."  
  
"I do not!"  
  
"Last time you dated a guy you saw him eating with a woman and accused him of cheating on you. Then you dumped a cup of tea on the woman."  
  
"Well, what was I supposed to think?" She asked picking up a carrot and examining it closely. "He was at a fancy restaurant with a beautiful woman."  
  
"Yeah," Lavender laughed. "His sister."  
  
Hermione threw the carrot at her.  
  
***  
  
Lizziebordon: Sorry if this chapter seemed to be forced. I had a bit of trouble with it.  
  
Jeremy: It wasn't bad. I liked it.  
  
Lizziebordon: Aw...*pats Jeremy's head* what a sweetie.  
  
Hermione: *smiles* Isn't he though?  
  
Harry: Hey! Don't smile at him like that. You're supposed to be in love with me.  
  
Hermione: Not according to what's been written so far.  
  
Harry: *sputters* You- you-  
  
Lizziebordon: *claps hand over Harry's mouth* Ok, moving on...You guys know the drill. Click on the little tag at the bottom of the page that says "Go" and leave a review. Authors like me need all the encouragement we can get. And once again, sorry about the lack of H/Hr past here. It just didn't fit in with what I was going for in this chapter. I'm going to try and work it in the next one but I make no promises. I'm just making it up as I write. I know how it's going to end and all but other then that... 


	6. Small Talk

Disclaimer: Sadly, no matter how hard I wish or how much I beg in the e-mails I send to the wonderful J.K., I don't own Harry Potter.

Kaaera- Hey! You've reviewed every one of my chapters! I feel so special. ::sniff::

Raine Is Crazy- A little more H/Hr action? Come on, seriously...you don't think that I'm just going to jump right into that, do you? I've gotta torture you guys at least a little bit.

AnonymousLove- Yum. Tomatoes ARE good. ::gasps:: You just gave me a really good idea for later on in the story w/ that comment.

Author's Note: Anyone who's read this chapter before don't worry about re-reading it. I just went through and made a small change to the conversation about the necklace, just added when the research had been cast. Nothing major that you need to worry about.

oooo

Last Chapter

"I went out to a market I saw yesterday. Where were you? I woke up and all I found was a note saying you had gone out and would be back before lunch."

"I went to the Ministry," she said looking at her watch.

"Really? And what, pray tell, were you doing there?"

"I wanted to see how Jeremy was doing after yesterday." She paused before adding, "I invited him to dinner with us tonight."

Lavender put the knife she was using down quickly and turned to look at Hermione. "Hermione!" she said sharply. "We're supposed to be having dinner with Harry tonight!"

"I know. That's one of the reasons I invited him. If he's there then I won't be forced into having a conversation that I don't want to have."

oooo

"Lavender! Hurry up would you? I told Jeremy we'd meet him downstairs at six-thirty and it's already," Hermione checked her watch, "six-thirty-seven!"

"Alright, alright. I'm coming already." Lavender rushed out of her room juggling her purse and jacket while trying to put on a shoe. She straightened and spun around. "Ta da! How do I look?"

"Fine. Let's go."

"Hermione! You didn't even look!"

Hermione sighed, shrugging on her jacket and looked at Lavender. "You look great, Lav. Just like always. Now, can we go already? It is now, "she checked her watch again, "six-thirty-eight."

"Ok, I'm ready. What's the rush anyways?" she asked as they left and rushed to the elevator. "I thought you were dreading this dinner."

"I am," Hermione said while pushing the down button impatiently. "So I want to get it over with. So the sooner we get there, the sooner we can leave." She hit the down button again and growled in frustration. "What is it with these damn lifts? Why is it taking so long? Let's just use the-"she was cut off as the elevator emitted a soft "ding" and the door opened.

She pushed Lavender in front of her and walked in. Pushing the button that would take them to the lobby she sighed and turned to Lavender. "Now, how do _I_ look?"

"You're gorgeous, Hermione. Now would you just calm down about this dinner? It's not a huge deal. We meet Harry, eat dinner, and have some polite, neutral conversation, maybe a cup of coffee. It'll be over before you know it."

"I hope so," Hermione muttered as the doors opened and they stepped out into the lobby and over to the door.

Waving to the doorman they stepped out onto the sidewalk and looked for Jeremy.

"There he is." Lavender said, pointing behind Hermione. She let out a low whistle. "And does he ever look good."

Hermione turned around and gasped. Jeremy certainly did looked good. It was all Hermione could do to keep her legs from collapsing at the sight of him. '_Oh, wow. Now that is what I call good looking.' _She suddenly realized what she was thinking and gave herself a mental slap. '_What the bloody hell are you thinking? You barely know the man!'_ She forced a weak smile on her face as Jeremy walked up to them with a grin on his face.

"You two look wonderful."

"Thanks." Lavender said. "You don't look to bad yourself."

His grin grew. "I wasn't sure when you two were going to show up so I went ahead and hailed us a cab."

"That's fine. Sorry we're late. Lavender," Hermione said, shooting a look over at her best friend, "has a bit of trouble when it comes to getting ready. She's never on time for anything."

"Hey!"

Jeremy laughed. "That's ok. It's a pleasure waiting for two women as lovely as you."

Hermione colored slightly. "Thank you," she said. She met his eyes and the two stood there for a moment, smiling at each other.

Hermione heard an impatient sigh from behind her. "Well, as much as I hate to break this up," Lavenders interjected. "We do have to meet Harry and are already late. We should go."

Grabbing them both by the elbow, she dragged them over to the cab and hurried them inside.

oooo

"Oh my..." Hermione said weakly as she staggered out of the cab and over to a bench.

"Yeah, that about covers it," Lavender agreed, stumbling down next to her and looking more then slightly nauseous. She leaned forward and rested her head in her lap. "Oh, I think I might be ill."

"Uhn," was all that Hermione managed in reply.

Jeremy joined them on the bench and leaned back, resting his head on the wall behind them. He sat quietly for a moment before letting out a deep breath.

"That was..."

"Interesting?" Lavender supplied.

"Yes. Definitely interesting."

"Where the hell did he learn to drive?" Hermione gasped. "At a race course?"

"I don't know," Lavender said standing up slowly and using the wall for support. "But I swear, I thought that my bum was going to fall off if he went over one more speed bump like that. Note to self: always check the cabby to make sure I don't get that one again."

Jeremy laughed weakly and stood up as well, holding out his hand to help Hermione. "Well, I think we should go find your friend. He's probably wondering we're we are."

"Probably," Lavender said checking her watch. "We're already ten minutes late."

Slowly, the three made their way into the café. They stood in the entry way for a moment and let their eyes adjust to the light before looking around.

"There he is." Lavender said, pointing towards a table in the back.

The three made their way over to the table where Harry was waiting. When he saw them he stood up and smiled.

"Hey, there you are. I thought I might have been stood up." He hugged Lavender and Hermione, who returned it somewhat stiffly. Standing back he smiled and noticed Jeremy standing behind them.

"Hello." He said, holding out his hand. "I'm Harry Potter."

"Hey," Jeremy replied. "Jeremy Bishmore. I hope you don't mind but the ladies invited me along."

"No problem. The more the merrier, right?"

"Right. Uh, I know we just got here and I hate to be rude but Hermione, could I talk to you for a minute?"

"Of course," she said, slightly confused. The two walked a short distance from the table and to an area less crowded.

"What is it Jeremy? Is something wrong?"

"Well, no. Not really. It's just, Hermione, when you said we'd be going out with a friend of yours, you didn't tell me who it was going to be."

"Alright," she said slowly, unsure of the problem.

"Harry Potter, Hermione. We're eating dinner with Harry _Potter_."

"Oh." She looked at him, still confused. She stood there looking at him quizzically for a moment before she realized what he was saying. "Oh!" she gasped her hand flying to her mouth. "Jeremy, I'm sorry!"

"It's alright, really." He said hurriedly.

"I honestly didn't even think about it. I've just known him for such a long time I forget what a shock it is for some people to meet him. I'm so sorry."

"Its fine, Hermione. It was just a bit of a surprise, I guess. I wasn't expecting someone so...famous."

"Yes, I know." She sighed again and looked over at the table where Harry and Lavender were talking spiritedly. "If you want to leave, I understand."

"Oh, no. It's really not a big deal. I'll be fine. I just hope I don't make a fool of myself in front of him."

"Don't worry. You'll be fine." Taking his arm, Hermione led him back towards the table.

Harry stood up as they approached. "Is everything alright?"

"It's nothing," Hermione said sitting down in the chair Jeremy pulled out for her.

For a moment, they all sat there, an uncomfortable silence reigning. Then Lavender cleared her throat.

"Well, Harry, why don't you tell us what you've been up to."

"Oh, well, nothing really. Just work and such. Not all that terribly interesting."

"Oh, come now Harry. You haven't been able to go anywhere since you went to Hogwarts without something out of the ordinary happening to you." Harry laughed.

"I hate to disappoint you Lav, but my life has become somewhat dull of late." Lavender sat back and pouted.

"Well that's no fun. What good is seeing you if you don't have at least one story about how you escaped from the jaws of death or whatnot?"

"Nice to know that our friendship is based on me entertaining you, Lav." Lavender flashed a grinned.

"You know me, all take and no give."

"Yes, well, I'm sorry but you'll just have to suffer through the evening." Sitting back in his chair Harry looked over at Hermione. "So, Hermione, how have you been lately?"

"I've been fine. I've just been working at the hospital as usual."

"Really? Nothing interesting happening at all?" Harry looked at her, with what was almost a pleading look, as if he was begging her to talk to him. She only remembered seeing him with that look once before.

Flashback

_"Hermione, please! Just talk to me. Let me explain!" Harry grabbed her hand but she wrenched it from his grasp._

_"Explain? Explain what, Harry?" She glared at him. "I think what I saw is explanation enough!" Turning around, she started walking down the corridor. Harry rushed after her._

_"Hermione, that- what you saw, it wasn't what it looked like." Hermione stopped and turned around to look at him, arms crossing over her chest._

_"Really? Then what exactly was it Harry?" Harry looked at her, an expression on his face that she couldn't identify. He didn't say anything._

_"That's what I thought." She said quietly before turning away from him and walking back to Gryffindor Tower._

End Flashback

Hermione stared back at him for a moment before finally glancing away. "No." She sat back in her chair and looked at her menu.

"Oh, well then..." An uncomfortable silence spread across the table again.

"Harry!" Lavender said brightly. "How's the investigation going?" The other three turned to look at her, shocked at the abrupt question.

"Well," Harry said slowly. "We finally finished going over the inventory and found out that there's a necklace missing."

"Really? What kind of necklace?"

"Well, it was one of the necklaces from the Egypt exhibit. It belonged to a priest. The necklace was-"

"Wait a minute." Lavender interrupted. "I think we saw that necklace. Hermione, you remember. It was the one that could control people." Hermione thought back to the museum visit before nodding.

"Yeah, I remember. The necklace belonged to Imuta. It had the power to let whoever owned it control others, like an early form of Imperius. Only it's done through the necklace instead of a spell."

"Right," Harry said. "Only, no one's actually sure if it really could do that. It's all rumor and myth."

"But," Jeremy spoke up. "What if it actually can? Something like that in the hands of You-Know-Who could be dangerous." Harry raised his eyebrows at the lack of Jeremy using Voldemort's actual name but didn't say anything.

"You don't think we've thought of that?" He sat forward and rested his arms on the table. "We've been wearing ourselves out trying to figure out if the necklace actually holds those powers but, so far, we haven't come up with anything."

"Can't you look at the files on it? All known magical objects have files. Surely a research spell was cast on it at some point." Hermione asked.

"A research spell?" Lavender questioned. "What's that?"

"It's a very complex spell that you can cast on a magical object." Jeremy said, looking at Lavender. "It's sort of like running a background check on it. The spell reads the objects magical signature and tells you what it does and how it's used."

"Yes, the spell was cast about three years ago, right after they found the necklace in Egypt." Harry said. "And we did check the files but...the files said that the spell didn't work. When they tried it something...weird happened."

"What?" Hermione asked, leaning forward and looking at him. He looked at her briefly before continuing.

"The spell, it...I don't know how to explain it. It " There was a moment of silence.

"Collapsed?" Jeremy said. "A spell doesn't " Harry gave him an exasperated look and ran his hand through his hair.

"Well, that's what it did. One moment it was working and the next it just stopped. It was like someone had cast a counter spell."

"Maybe someone did." Lavender said.

"Impossible. The files said there were four people in the room when it was cast and only one wand. Someone would have seen if one was cast."

"Memories can be altered." Hermione said.

"Why would someone do that?"

"Maybe they didn't want anyone finding out what it does. Maybe they knew what it was and wanted to use it for themselves." The table fell silent for a moment, thinking over the statement.

"But what could they possibly do with-"Lavender stopped speaking abruptly as a waiter walked over to their table.

"Good evening." He said. "Are you all ready to order or would you like a few more minutes?"

"Uh, I think we could use a bit longer." Jeremy said, glancing at the others. The waiter nodded and walked away.

"I think," Harry said, quietly. "We should probably stop talking about this. It's to easy to be overheard by someone."

"Right," Jeremy agreed. "Why don't we all order and eat." The others nodded and they all sat back to look over their menus once again. The necklace wasn't brought up again for the rest of the evening.

oooo

Well. I finished it! Aren't you happy?

Harry: Yeah, took you long enough.

::pouts:: It wasn't THAT long.

Harry: Four months! You don't call four months long?

But- But I had soccer...and school and soccer...and finals...and soccer! Then my files were locked and it took me a couple of days before I could figure out how to _unlock _them. Plus, I have work and I've started another story-

Harry: Excuses, excuses...

::shoves Harry out window:: Oh, shut up.


	7. Dreaming of You

Oh yeah...how much do you all love me? Didn't take me four months this time! Sorry that its short and I'm sorry that it takes so long in between chapters but...what can I say? Life calls and I refuse to let it keep ringing. It gives me a headache, you know?

oooo

Lavender sighed as she flung herself onto her bed. She stretched and moaned happily as her back popped. She lay there on the bed for a few minutes, relaxing, before she got up and went to the bathroom. Turning the faucet on she washed off her make up. As she took her hair down and brushed it out she re-ran the conversation at dinner through her mind, thinking about what Harry had told them about the research spell collapsing.

"_A spell doesn't "_

If the spell hadn't collapsed, then what _had _happened? Had Harry been right? Had someone else in the room cast a counter spell?

"_Impossible. The files said there were four people in the room when it was cast and only one wand. Someone would have seen if one was cast."_

"_Memories can be altered."_

Why would someone want to keep the necklace's powers secret? Did this person want to use the necklace for themselves? But, if they did, then why hadn't they taken the necklace after the spell had failed? Why let the necklace stay at the museum so long?

She shook her head, sighing. Putting down the brush she went back into her room. She changed out of her clothes and lay down in bed. Turning out the lights she tried to calm her thoughts and sank into an uneasy sleep.

"_Do you have it?"_

"_Yes, My Lord."_

"_Wonderful... Lucius, tell me. Why have so few of you returned?"_

"_There were other wizards at the museum. We tried to get rid of them first but one of them must have alerted the Ministry though before we could get to them."_

"_I see."_

"_My Lord..."_

"_Yes?"_

"_Potter was there."_

"_Potter! Is he still alive?"_

"_Yes, My lord. He was among the Aurors that came. He wasn't the only one either."_

"_Who else?"_

"_Potter's mudblood friend, Granger, was there as well."_

"_My Lord?"_

"_Find the mudblood and bring her here."_

"_But, My lord...Do you think that wise? Capturing one of Potter's friends?"_

"_Lucius, are you questioning me?"_

"_No, My Lord! I would never-"_

"_Crucio!"_

Lavender woke suddenly, heart racing. Groggily, she turned on her light. She was covered in a thin sheen of sweat and breathing hard.

"What the bloody hell..." She muttered.

_I was dreaming. _She thought. _About- About Voldemort!_

"Bloody hell!" With a cry, Lavender shot out of her bed. Throwing open the door she ran across the living area to Hermione's room. Without even so much as a knock, she threw the door open and ran over to Hermione's bed.

"Hermione!" Shaking her, Lavender shouted again, trying to wake Hermione. "Hermione! Wake up!"

"Wha?" Hermione muttered sleepily. She rolled over and turned on the lamp next to the bed. Blinking sleepily at Lavender, Hermione sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Lavender? What is it?"

"Hermione! I just had the strangest dream! I was there! Listening to him. He was talking about the necklace and then he cursed him!"

"What? Lavender," Hermione said, scooting over on the bed so Lavender could sit. "What are you talking about? _Where_ were you?"

"I was there, in the room with him!"

"Who?"

"You-Know-Who!"

"Voldemort?

"Yes! He and Malfoy. They were talking about the necklace!"

"What? Draco was there?"

"No! _Lucius_ Malfoy!"

"Lucius Malfoy is _dead_, Lavender."

Lavender sighed, springing off the bed. Running her hands through her hair she began pacing back and forth by the bed.

"I know, I know...but he was _there_ Hermione."

"Lav," Hermione said slowly. "It was just a dream. Your mind was probably still on the conversation at dinner."

"But what if it wasn't! Harry's had dreams about Voldemort before about things that were actually happening."

"Yes...but Lav, Harry is connected to Voldemort through his scar. You're not."

"But Hermione, we can't rule it out fore certain. If it wasn't a dream..."

"Ok, ok." Hermione held up her hands in surrender. "Sit down and tell me what it was about."

Sitting down on the bed, Lavender tried to recall her dream.

"I'm not sure where I was but Voldemort was there. He was speaking with Malfoy about the necklace. He wanted to know why so few of the Death Eaters had come back. Malfoy told him that there were other wizards at the museum and that someone had gotten the Ministry there Then he told him that Harry was there. He got really angry, Mione."

She stopped and looked at Hermione who had her head tilted to the side with a slight frown on her face.

"What?"

"You don't know where you were? What about the room you were in? What did it look like?"

Lavender, trying to recall what the room looked like, frowned.

"I- I don't know. I don't even think that I really saw the room or You-Know-Who and Malfoy for that matter. I just heard them."

"Alright...what else happened?"

"Well, after Malfoy had told him that Harry was there he mentioned that you were there."

"Me!" Hermione jumped, shocked.

"Yes. Hermione," Lavender took hold of Hermione's hand and gripped it hard. "You-Know-Who told Malfoy that he wanted him to bring you to him."

"What?" Hermione gaped. "Why?"

"He knows that you and Harry were best friends during school. He probably thinks that if he has you, then Harry will come."

"But Harry and I are hardly what you could call close friends anymore. Yesterday was the first time I've spoken to him in two years!"

"He wouldn't know that though. Hermione, we need to talk to Harry about this."

"No. I don't need Harry going all super-auror and setting a guard on me to keep me safe."

"But Her-"

"Lavender." Hermione cut her off. "It was probably just a dream. There's nothing to worry about. Just go back to sleep. There's nothing to tell Harry, alright? Promise me you won't mention it to him."

"Fine." Lavender sighed, standing up. Walking out of the room she shut the door behind her and glanced at her watch. _'Four-twenty.'_ She stopped for a moment and thought before walking back to her room. A few moments later she walked back out dressed in jeans and a sweater. Putting on her jacket she threw a guilty glance at Hermione's bedroom door.

Grabbing her keys Lavender headed out into the hallway, making sure to shut the door and lock it. With a determined air she headed towards the elevator and down to the lobby. Stepping outside with a smile to the doorman she shivered and pulled her jacket tighter in an attempt to block out the cold.

She hurriedly walked down the sidewalk and, making sure no one was around to see, she ran into an alley. Taking out her wand she gave it a small flick and jumped as a large, triple-decker, purple bus suddenly appeared. The door opened and a tall, red-haired man stepped out.

"Welcome and thank you for choosing the Knight Bus as your choice of travel this evening. Tickets are eleven-"

"Yes, yes, I know how much the tickets are." Lavender said impatiently, handing him a galleon. "You can keep the change if you'll skip over everyone else and take me first."

"Where are you heading?"

Lavender sighed and gave another guilty glance back up the alley, thinking of her promise to Hermione. She shook her head slightly and looked back at the man.

"I need to go to the Ministry of Magic."

oooo

Review, please! I need some encouragement here people!


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